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(N0 Model.) 2 SheetsSheet l.

G. W. BA IRD. STEAM GENERATOR.

No. 368,642. Patented Aug. 23, 1887.

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(No Model.)

2 Shets-Sheet 2 G. W. BAIRD. STEAM GENERATOR.

PatentedAflg. 23, 1887.

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GEORGE W. BAIRD, OF UNITED STATES NAVY.

STEAM-GENERATOR.

SIECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,642, dated August23, 1887.

Application filed April 21, 1887.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. Barren, an engineer officer in the UnitedStates Navy, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vashington, inthe District of Columbia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Steam-Generators for Making Pure \Vater at Sea andElsewhere, of which the following is a specification. p

The object of my invention is to supply ma rine or other steam-boilerswith pure water, and also to make potable water for drinking. Thedifficulties encountered from the use of mineral oils in-thesteam-cylinders in the distillation from the main boilers on board ofships are aggravated more and more as the boiler'pressures areincreased; and the same may be said of all classes of boilers where thewater condensed from the exhaust of the engine is fed to the boilers.The oil finds its way into the boilers through the condenser, air-pump,and feed-pump. To completely obviate this difficulty a separate boilerhas sometimes been employed, in which clean sea-water alone is used; butin ships where it is essential to diminish weights as much as possibleall the boilers must be used in order to get the power. Where a quantityof atmospheric air is introduced into the steam before its condensation,much of the organic matter is oxidized and maybe removed by a specialfilter. Much of the volatile portion of the oil escapes with the excessof air which is forced into the water, and the remainder finallyvaporizes from the tanks or is precipitated. The higher temperature nowused in marine boilers is more destructive to the cylinder-oils, andmakes it essential to resort to one of the two alternatives-via, to usea separate boiler to distill from or use larger storage-tanks, whichwould give the water more time to age. The latter process is out of thequestion, as neither room nor weight can be accorded for that purpose.Another objection to distilling from the main boilers is that the solidmatter in'the sea-water (which is a non-conductor) precipitated upon theheating-surface of the boilers would soon cause the metal to burn. Thethickness of metal in the modern highpressure boilers is much greaterthan in the old (low-pressure) boilers, and the transmis sion of heat iscorrespondingly retarded. This Serial No. 235,682. (No model.)

is aggravated by the more rapid combustion now employed. To meet theserequirements I have designed an evaporator to take the place of theboiler for distilling.

Figure 1 is aside elevation of my apparatus, showing the relativeposition and connections of the different parts. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection through the evaporator. Fig. 3 is a top view of the same. Fig. 4is a detail sectional view of one of the condenser eoil valves, and Fig.5is a modification of evaporator head and coils.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

E represents the evaporator or generator, which consists of the casingracontaining coils 01, arranged within and independent of one another;The ends of the coils pass through and are made fast to the heads I) ofthe casing by nuts upon each side. Upon the heads of the casing anddirectly over the ends of the tubes are formed narrow steam-chamber cand water-chamber 0. These chambers are provided with covers 6 e. To theupper head of the casing, upon the side of the steam'ehamber, isconnected a pipe, f, leading to a condenser,

,O. This pipe is provided with a valve, f. There is also attached tothis head a safetyvalve and steam-gage.

Fig. 5 shows another form of head for the evaporator,which issubstantially the same as the one just described. The only difference isthat the ends of the coils pass through stuffing boxes in the head ofthe evaporator and terminate in the pipe or chamber c,which is suppliedwith steam from the pipe S. A glass water-gage, g, is attached to theside of the casing to indicate the height of the water within. To thebottom of the casing and lead ing from the evaporator feed-pump l? isthe water-supply pipe 11 to the evaporator.

N is a water-pipe leading from the waterchamber 0 to a tank or the hotwell.

S is the steam-pipe leading from the boiler to the steam-chamber c, andS is a steampipe leading to the pumps.

h h are the steam-pump-exhaust pipes, but are not shown connected in thedrawings.

1? is the circulating-pump, having the discharge Gr connected to thebottom of the condenser O, the water passing through the condenser andout at the pipe G.

A is an air-pipe leading to the aerator D, by which atmospheric airismixed with the steam that passes from the evaporator into thecondenser-coils. This aerator need not be fully described, as it formspart of subject-matter of patent granted to me October 12, 1880, N 0.233,184.

The condenser O is constructed in the same manner as the evaporator, ithaving two or more independent coils and the two chambers in the heads.I have improved the condenser by controlling the number of coils to beused by placing valves at each end of the coils.

The top of condenser in Fig. l of the drawings is part in section toshow the valves and their connection with the coils. The bottom chamberis constructed in the same manner.

0 is the upper steam-chamber, which is secured to the condenser-cover w.The cover an is provided with stuffing-boxes t, through which the endsof the coils are passed. To the end of the coil is secured the valveseat and gland n of the stuffing-box by screwing it to the end of thecoil. Upon the chamber is secured, in the usual manner, thestuffing-boxes through which the valve-stems pass. By simply closing thevalves at each end of either coil the said coil is thrown out ofservice.

To operate the apparatus the circulatingpump P is started, therebycirculating water through the condenser 0. Pump P is then started,taking its water-supply from the discharge-pipe ofthe condenser G, andthen delivering it through pipe H to the evaporator. A valve in thesteam-pipe S is then opened, permitting the steam of high temperature toenter the steam-chamber c and the coils d. The water surrounding thecoils is soon converted into steam, which passes through the pipe f intothe condenser, through the aerator D, where it induces a current ofatmospheric air, and thus the mixed air and steam are de= livered to thecondenser-coils. Sea-water is kept circulating round these coils by thepump use the water for drinking. The water condensed in the coils of theevaporator is returned through pipe N to the hot well, to be pumped backinto the boiler. The pipe K is placed in the bottom of the evaporator toblow out the water when the density gets too high. A constant feed andblow can be so regulated that the apparatus will require but littleattention.

By using the evaporator as described, returning the drain-water from thecoils to the boiler and feeding the evaporator exclusively withsea-water, no sea-water need be pumped into the boilers, and thereforeno scale will appear there. The evaporator is so designed that the coilsmay be removed separately for scaling.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, with the evaporator provided with steam-pipes, ofthe condenser and the evaporator feed-pump, said pump taking its waterfrom the condenser-overflow, substantially as shown and described.

2. 'The combination of the evaporator with the boiler steam-pipes andsteam-pipes from the evaporator to the condenser, the condensercirculating-pump, the, feed-pump for the evaporator,and the supply-pipefor the pump, connected to the overflow-pipe of the conden ser,substantially as shown and described.

3. In a condenser, the combination of the casing with the coils, andvalves for closing both ends of the coils, substantially as shown anddescribed.

' 4. The combination, with the head of the condenser provided with astuffing-box, of the coil passing therethrough,and the gland screwing onthe end of the coil, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the head of the condenser provided with thestuffing-box, of the coil passing therethrough, and the valveseat andgland screwing on the end of the coil, substantially as shown.

GEORGE \V. BAIRD.

Witnesses:

SOHUYLER DURYEE, M. GARDNER.

